Geterdun, Daggum and Wee Doggies!!! (Not to be confused with Y'all, Right Quick and Fixin' To)

This week has been good.  I've chosen one thing I want to work on every week to become more of who I want to be, as a missionary and as a person.  Three weeks I worked on optimism, then diligence, faith, cleanliness, etc.  I worked on six things thus far!  So this week I rewarded myself by allowing myself to develop a talent.  I chose to work on drawing which I totally forgot that:  1. I liked to do; and, 2. I am pretty decent at it!  I'm sending pictures.

It sounds like you've had a pretty crazy week.  We actually get to go to the temple on September 6th so I'll get to see it then (the new movie)! I'M SO EXCITED.

The work is going well. We have about 13 investigators, and two with baptismal dates. So that's pretty good. We've been super close to hitting standards every week! We haven't gotten in trouble for illegal knocking, but we did get yelled at by this lady...

We went to the house of a former investigator who we already knew moved out. We wanted to see who moved in.  So Sister Bishop is getting stuff out of the back of the car and I see the lady coming to the door. She opens it and yells out "What do you want?!"  We said, "Hi! How are you doing today!"  She said, "That depends on who YOU are."  We said, "The missionaries for the Church of Jesu-" She interrupted us, "I TOLD THE GUYS THAT CAME BY YESTERDAY TO LEAVE ME ALONE! STOP COMING BY! I'M NOT INTERESTED! I SAID PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE! NEXT TIME I WONT SAY PLEASE." So we said, "Okay! Have a great day!" YIIIIIIIIIKES.  Okay, so apparently the Elders in our ward had already stopped by that house the night before.  She was NOT happy to see us. 

Sister Bishop and I got a P90X DVD from a member in the ward. So we started doing that. It makes me feel better that I get dessert every single night...

We've been sharing a message about faith with the members.  We each have a favorite scripture in Alma 32, and we read that and then share stories about how our faith has been strengthened. But with one family (part-member) we felt prompted to read the whole chapter so we did.  The dad (who isn't Mormon) almost cried.  We sat around and shared stories and it was just a really really great lesson.  At the end of it, he told us that he would be okay if we wanted to start teaching him the lessons.

With another family, we shared a message about the atonement. I shared one of my favorite scriptures (Ether 12:27) and then we watched President Holland's Easter message that is just really really powerful.  I have NEVER felt the spirit that strongly before.  It seriously felt like you could cut through it with a knife.

I love and miss y'all so much!

 

Sister Chatterton

p.s. I get made fun of for saying y'all and right quick and fixing to and things of that nature. So I've decided to also say geterdun and daggum and wee doggies.  Sister Bishop is having a field day.

p.s. (again)  Also, the Law of Attraction,  part 2: (I'm not sure what happened to part 1)

Tuesday this family in our ward gave us 50$ for dinner!  We super wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse and talked about it for probably 45 minutes before deciding to call the APs and asking them to bring us some (it's out of our zone so we can't go to it) and we would pay them.  They couldn't that night.  But three days later, I went on exchanges and our lunch appointment.. took us.. to... Texas.. Roadhouse.  I DIED OF HAPPINESS I SERIOUSLY MISS STEAK. We eat a LOT of enchiladas, which is totally fine and wonderful and I appreciate them . But I love steak.  THE LAW OF ATTRACTION IS REAL.  I guess I need to think about baptisms all the time.

Who wanted to see a picture of Elder Hickenlooper? aka... I have come to the conclusion that I am just not athletic, but I like trying to be...

So this week has been interesting.  It all started out with the fact that our area is split between us and the elders.  It's a bit of a struggle, because we had to give our investigators who live close to the elders to them because they are on bikes.  So we started fresh in a super rich area where its no soliciting and they're all not very friendly and its hard.  So for those of you reading this, GIVE MISSIONARIES REFERRALS BECAUSE IT IS SO FRUSTRATING TO BE IN A "NO SOLICITING" AREA... That's cool.  We found a potential family to teach though!  We went to a house to visit someone, and she wasn't home.  So we knocked next door and this lady answers in a bikini and I was like "AHHHH NAKED LADY"! but we kept talking.  She said we could come back in two weeks to teach her family.

Also last night we knocked a house and had a super good conversation with someone for basically ever and then his wife shows up and says "we're not interested" and slams the door.  It was really sad because I felt like that really could of gone somewhere good! but the work must go on.

We don't really have any set investigators.  We have two with dates, but one is wishy-washy and the other isn't off probation yet until he finishes community service, so thats sad.  Hopefully he will be done soon, cause he super wants to get baptized.

(Personal stuff...)

Also my hair is falling out and I'm getting fat.  So maybe the sooner you can send some insanity work out stuff and maybe something to get my hair to stay attached to my head would be better. I dunno. just a thought. :)

I love you, mommy. a super lot.  I pray about the family every day.

I think about "someone" who needs to have the missionaries show up.

Please do it.

Please.

They need referrals.

And "someone else" needs the gospel.

And please.

ps  I started taking tennis lessons every p-day last week.  So I've had two and I have come to the conclusion that I am just not athletic, but I like trying to be.  I only got hit in the face once!

pps  I'm also taking Spanish lessons so hopefully ill learn more quickly.

ppps I LOVE YOU SO MUCH MOMMMMM! (and everyone else reading this, of course)

New Zone!

My adorable tiny companion )Sister Bishop) who i share clothes with (currently she is wearing my shirt and i am wearing her skirt.  It's a wonderful thing.

Someone told me to find Elder Hickenlooper and I did but I don't remember who told me to find him so find out by posting this and asking who told me to find him, please.

TWO MONTHS OLD TODAY!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEE!!

Sister Bishop is still training me, kinda. We are doing the training, but shes only been out six weeks longer than me. I'm officially two months old now today! WHEE!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEE!! 

Anyways onto the work..

I LOVE it here in Tortolita. It's kinda ritzy and the people can be a bit snobbish, but I've met a lot of really nice people. We have elders in our ward, too. They're really nice :). One was an AP but he's going home in two weeks. It's super weird to think that someday I'll go home, too.

There was one really cool experience this week that I just HAVE to share. So my second day here, Sister Bishop says to me "well. our plans fell through. find us someone to teach." and handed me the ward directory. She got out to go get the lady who was coming with us, and I prayed SO hard. Then I opened up the book, and flipped through it. I picked out a name. Sister Bishop got back in the car, and asked me who I picked. I said "take a guess." and handed her back the book. She flipped through it, and picked the very same name I did! So we knew that we HAD to go see them! So we drive to their house and see some people in the garage. We go up to them and ask if they're the people we were looking for. Turns out they weren't. The family we were looking for had moved, and they were moving in! So we talked to them awhile and gave them something to read and it was just super neat to see how much God can lead us to whom he has prepared. We have a return appointment next week!

I love Sister Bishop with all of my heart. She is just really really great. We talk about everything all the time, and its just nice to be with someone who I feel like I can be myself around. Plus we can share clothes easily. :) We've decided we're going to be best friends forever and live down the street from each other when we're older and then our kids can fall in love and get married.

Sorry this email is so short. I just really don't want to be on here much longer.

Sister Chatterton

The gospel is what converts people, not whether or not I look decent...

This week in Avra Valley..

My eyes got really really swollen and I couldn't even open them when I woke up. It was terribly uncomfortable. I'm not quite sure what did it. So I'm no longer wearing my contacts because I'm afraid of them. So I will be ugly for the rest of my mission. It's okay though, because the gospel is what converts people, not whether or not I look decent. I got a priesthood blessing and the next day, my eyelids were still a little red, but I could see!

We found a couple of new investigators this week, and I think they will progress pretty well, but I won't really know because...

Thursday I found out from the AP's that I would get transferred. I wasn't supposed to know until Sunday. To be honest, I was really distraught about it because I wasn't exactly sure why I would be getting transferred, considering we were told that we would stay with our trainers for about three months. I didn't want to leave my investigators, and I just was hoping that I would be put somewhere that the spirit could work through me to touch the people. I really freaked out about it. So Sunday, we got a call from the AP that tipped us off and he told me I would be serving in Tortolita with Sister Bishop! I went on exchanges with Sister Bishop this last week anyway, so I already knew her and loved her and my attitude flipped 180 degrees. I was really concerned I would be put with someone who I just really didn't mesh well with, which I know will happen eventually, but I was NOT ready for that. I need to learn to keep quieter about my opinions before that happens.

We had two baptisms this past Saturday. The service was really hectic and there were kids crying and it was insanely stressful, and yet.. the Spirit was still there. If that doesn't prove the truthfulness of this gospel, I don't know what does.

Yesterday was a really good last day in Avra Valley. We went and taught "T" what we had planned to be a drop lesson, and ended up setting a date with her instead! She apparently wasn't able to put the Book of Mormon down. She has a lot of questions, but the spirit was so strong. The whole thing was in Spanish, so I really didn't talk at all. And I didn't understand much. But I felt like crying the whole time and I could just see the light of Christ in her face and the love that God has for her.

We also solidified our baptismal date with "I".  She is a tough cookie. But she told us that she knows she is ready. She will be baptized on September 14th.

I love all of you, and I am so grateful for the support that you give me.

P.s. The mace did arrive, thank you :)

p.p.s. i've received letters from adrien, abby, and mitch, so anyone else if you've sent me anything to the address on musket, i'm sorry. I don't live there anymore. send all mail to the mission home, because with transfers and everything, it'd be a lot smarter.

Sister Eyre and I were practicing the law of attraction.. We think of minions all the time. and LOOK. A GLOWING MINION BLIMP!

Christal!

Axel!

Princess Paige!!!

The Zone

a mission (poem, author unknown)

a mission

a mission is a strange experience,

it's a trial and a test.

a mission throws at you the worst,

yet teaches you the best.

they told me this would be the best period of my life,

but i guess they didn't explain it all too clear.

i came out looking for a bed of roses,

i just wasn't expecting all the thorns i've found out here.

since i've been out, i've never been so happy,

i've never been so depressed.

i've never felt so forsaken,

i've never felt so blessed.

i've never been so confused.

my mind has never been so clear.

i've never felt my heavenly father so distant,

i've never felt him so near.

i've never been so discouraged,

i've never been so full of hope.

i feel like i can go on forever,

i think i've come to the end of my rope.

i've never had it so easy,

i've never had it so tough.

things have never gone so smoothly,

things have never been so rough.

i've never traveled through more valleys,

i've never ascended so many peaks.

i've never met so many neat people,

i've never met so many freaks.

i've never had so many ups,

i've never had so many downs.

i've never worn so many smiles,

i've never worn so many frowns.

i've never been so lonely,

i've never had so many friends.

man, i hope this is all over soon.

gosh, i hope this never ends.